Superfoods

"If we had an apple that contained Viagra or an apple that [suppressed] appetite, we wouldn't have these problems."

The debate over genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture may be dead on arrival in America, but in Europe centuries-long tradition so far has kept these crops out of the fields and off the shelves. Resistance may be weakening, however.

This report from a recent international conference gives some insight to where European biotech companies are heading with regard to winning the confidence of consumers who are still reeling from the shock of mad cows…and aren’t too keen on super corn or wheat in their breakfast cereal.

It is a circular argument. We’ve been poisoning our food for generations, and are caught in this nasty productivity loop that either will be broken with more science, or the rejection of science. The biotech pioneers gathered at this conference realize that the farmers (whether they want to be or not) are on board, but consumers aren’t. So, how about GMOs that are good for you?

We know how to make food better. We add iodine to salt, and fluoride to water. There’s fruit juice with added vitamins and nutrients, and cereals with additional calcium for those strong bones and teeth. No matter that food – undoctored, real food – actually has these benefits. You’d just have to eat three, balanced meals a day to get them.

How about flaxseed that contains omega-3 fatty acids, for the prevention of heart disease? Or, as one of the conference attendees quipped, apples with Viagra? Would we embrace Frankencrops as beneficial, then, or still reject them as unnatural?